The Life of a Young Sailor
by AsunaKiritoYuiLove
Summary: Alfred had a fairly quiet life on the streets of the busy island he lived on but he never imagined what could possibly ensue from merely bumping into the wrong crowd. Had it been coincidence, fate perhaps? Maybe neither, but all of that didn't matter as his life turned completely upside down and he finds out how it's like to live as a young sailor. WARNING: Pirate AU, Human names.


**A/N: This is an RP with a great friend of mine and I just LOVE her pirates~ ^^ This is pretty long but I'm not gonna bother making chapters of it... Note: There are a bunch of POV changes so beware ^^ Hope you'll all enjoy this~ (cuz I fangirl whenever I read it XD) **

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As a young boy of the age of ten I had been found, trying my best to survive with the little means I had after losing my guardian. I was running away with a fresh apple in my hand, not realising where I was going as long as it was away from the angry merchant who was chasing me with a knife, and the island I had been stranded on after being kicked out of my former home with no trace of the only one precious to me. It had probably been a mutiny by the servants of the house who had thrown me to sea to drown… Yet by some fortunate or unfortunate coincidence I stranded on the isle of Tortugua where I had to do anything within my power to survive.

As I ran down the crowded streets I bumped into a boy around my age and I landed on my butt, looking up… What I saw was the boy cursing at me in a strange language and the smirks of some pirates… All I could do was freeze as their leader stepped forward and calmed down the boy who just sulked angrily in response… After having calmed down the boy he looked at me with cold eyes, sending a shiver down my spine… My head told me to run but my body was unable to move… "What's your name, chico?" The man said in a thick spanish accent. I tried to move my mouth but my lips had gone dry and I couldn't manage a single sound. The man chuckled darkly before speaking again. "I'll find out soon enough~ Take him!" Two of his men grabbed my arms and hoisted me to shore, where a grand and beautiful ship stood proudly in the harbour. The captain grinned as he saw the look on my face and spoke again, but this time to the other young boy. "I hope you don't mind having some company, Lovi~" He laughed at the boy's sour expression. "Take him to my cabin!" The young boy didn't seem pleased with his captain's orders but I didn't have any time to pick up anything else they said to each other as I was being taken on board and thrown into a room. I was too afraid of what these men might do to me if I tried to escape so I tried to hide instead by curling up in a corner of the room, hoping they'd forget about me. Of course I wasn't that lucky.

I soon heard footsteps just outside the room. "Don't worry mi amor, you know that won't happen." A groan came as answer. "How can I know for sure huh?! Let me come too!" A sigh followed. "No." Suddenly the door flung open. "And that's final." I could see the boy scowl angrily but he walked away nonetheless. The captain shook his head slightly as he closed the door of the cabin and locked it. The click from the lock made me try to stagger back even further into my corner. What was he going to do to me?! The man chuckled. "Don't worry chico, I promise I won't hurt you~" He mumbled something after that but I couldn't hear it…

I held my breath but somehow he must have heard me shift because suddenly he stood in front of me, tall and proud and ready to teach me a lesson or two… "Tck, tck, tck~ It's no good hiding from the captain like that~" His grin widened as he crouched. "So, tell me your name." I could feel the cutting edge of his voice like a knife on my skin, he'd gotten to business and that was definitely not a good thing. All I could muster was a slight shake of my head, I didn't dare tell, I was too scared. His eyes instantly seemed to darken at my response as he stood up and yanked me along by my wrist. "I give you one last chance to tell me before I force it out of you." His voice was calm, but that's what scared me most… I shut my eyes tightly, I wanted to escape, I wanted to leave this boat and these cursed pirates! "Fine by me."

He chuckled slightly as he grabbed some ropes from a nearby table and tied my wrists to a hook, tearing off my shirt. "You know what's going to happen, don't you~?" His tone sent a large shiver down my spine and I shook my head slightly… "W-what do you… What do you want from me?!" Naturally even though I tried to sound demanding, my voice failed me, making me sound pleading. I hated my weak build and voice at times like this… "Ah, so you can speak after all~" He chimed as he took a dark and fairly long, rolled up object out of a drawer… "N-NO!" My eyes widened at the sight of the object, I knew damn well what it was. "Please!" I instantly begged him not to do what he was about to, I remembered the pain and couldn't bear going through that again… I had been taught a lesson like this before for stealing some money from a commodor. "Ah good, very good. You know what this is~" He let it make a cracking sound on the floor, making my stomach churn and twist. "P-please, I'm begging you!"

I felt the excruciating pain as the whip hit my back and I screamed. "I'll be wanting an answer." I tried to keep my knees from buckling. "M-my name is Alfred… A-Alfred F. Jones…" I heard a chuckle as the whip hit me again, stronger than before, making me cry out louder. "What business do you have for bumping into my Lovi?" I knew that he would whip me again despite my answers… "I didn't mean to, i-it was an accident… I was being chased." Somehow I would have preferred being caught by that merchant after all…

"That may be so but I wont excuse you. Five's the rule~" I tried pulling my wrists from the ropes instantly but they were tied too well, I couldn't escape. I heard lifting the whip and I felt the wind on my skin before it struck me. The pain was so strong that I couldn't even muster a sound though my mouth stood wide open in a silent scream. "Two more~" He chuckled as he brought the whip down two more times. My legs buckled as the last lash hit my back and tears streamed down my face. He stood there a moment, admiring his handiwork as he noted the warm liquid slowly streaming out of the wounds… "My, my~ I might have overdone it a bit." He grinned through his words and came a bit closer. I shut my eyes tightly, afraid of what might happen as I felt his rough hands on my side and his breath on my back. "Wha- Ah!" I winced as he licked the blood off my back, I tried to hold still but the pain made me shiver, it was an odd sensation…

When he was done he laughed. "How much you resemble my little Lovinito when he first joined the crew~!" He untied me and called some of the men. "Give him a bunk next to Lovi." They roughly grabbed my arms as they dragged me away. I was thrown on what was supposed to represent a bed and yelled at the other boy. "Captain's orders, got it kid?!" The boy cursed at them in the odd language again but turned to me as they left. "Lemme see." I tuned on my stomach with the little strength I could muster, knowing what the boy meant. I heard him whistle in amazement. "He must be in a bad mood… I rarely see him give that hard a beating." His voice was softer than I expected as he spoke of the whipping and I remembered the captain's words: "How much you resemble my little Lovinito when he first joined the crew~!" I wanted to move but my back made it impossible as I groaned in pain.

"You're quite strong… I'll tend your wounds." I couldn't help myself, my curiosity had been triggered by the captain's words… "What happened to you…? How did you end up here…?" The boy froze. "Same way you did." I sighed, his voice had become cold as he spoke… "He… He said I resembled you when you joined the crew… Do you know what he meant…?" To my surprise he answered my question with a question… "He licked off the blood, didn't he? How did it feel…?" I was slightly taken aback by what he asked me but I answered him. "I don't really know… It felt… Weird…" He sighed. "Then you are like me. Hmpf… To feel pleasure within pain… It should be a sin." My eyes widened… What?! He couldn't be serious! "W-What are you talking about…? I… Don't understand." He shook his head. "You'll find out soon enough… You should be happy it's me who told you and not Capitano Antonio…"

I was confused and lost… He seemed the only one I could rely on though… "What does he want from me…?" He pushed my head in the rags. "Same as most younger ones, we're just toys…" Somehow it seemed his voice had sounded slightly sad but he left before I could say any more. "You need to rest." He called to me as he walked up the stairs to the main deck… I had barely even noticed it but while we were talking he had bandaged my back.

I was allowed to stay downstairs for about a week, the time for my wounds to heal before Antonio summoned me to his quarters. Even though Lovino was taking me there I didn't need him to find my way… Lovi was about to knock when we were called in. "Are you feeling better now, Alfred~?" The captain looked at me with that same and almost familiar grin. I nodded. "Y-Yes sir." He clapped his hands shortly. "Good!" His eyes told me he was up to something, something I probably wouldn't quite like… I knew Lovino sensed it too as his stance got stiffer. The captain chuckled slightly as he saw we both knew something was up. "Come here~" Lovino faltered for just a split second before obeying. I knew it was my best option to follow him, which I did.

When we both stood in front of Antonio he pulled us on his lap, a knee for each. "Let's play a game~" He whispered in our ears. Without wanting it, my body reacted, shivering involuntarily… His grin grew wider as he felt my shiver. Lovino on the other hand seemed used to this kind of behaviour a lot more and managed to stay calm. "There's a lot of work on deck Capitano…" His grin faltered but returned quickly. "Hmm~? Are you saying you don't want to play, Lovi~?" He whispered his name in Lovino's ear seductively, causing him to throw his head back. "Dannazione*, I'll get you for this…" His breath was slightly raspy and I was astonished with his reaction. I knew the captain had some sort of power over him but I didn't realise how strong his grip actually was… My gaze was glued to Lovino's expression, my mind not quite able to understand what was happening to him…

Suddenly I felt the captain's hand trailing down my back and my side to my butt and I gasped in immediate response. The captain grinned and licked my ear shell, making me shiver again as I tried my best to keep my mouth shut. I didn't understand what was happening to me, or rather to my body. Through my half-closed eyes I could see Lovino pout and claw at the captain's shirt slightly. I heard the captain's silky voice close to my ear, but he spoke to Lovino. "Tck, tck, tck~ You were the one cursing, you know what happens when you do that~" I had a feeling I knew what he meant but I kept my mouth shut, gazing at my friend who seemed nearly in a trance. I knew he was about to shout a lot of indecencies to the captain but to my great surprise he stopped himself. He buried his face in the captain's chest, still scratching at his skin for attention, but not as much.

All of a sudden he glared at me, which took me aback. His eyes spoke to me, it was obvious really: 'You'd better enjoy this you bastard!' I didn't quite see why I would enjoy it but the captain's hand slowly started massaging my ass and I knew what Lovino meant as I tried not to whimper, after all, I was a very stubborn lad. Suddenly I felt a stinging pain in my neck and I gasped loudly. Figures... He bit my neck to get my full attention. He bit me so hard I could feel the hot liquid seeping ou alreadyt. When he saw the blood he grinned and licked it up, sucking the wound vigorously.

Damn it... No way could I keep silent with that! I moaned out instantly, clutching his shirt. His chuckles sent another shiver down my spine as my breath became irregular... I didn't really understand what was happening to me, but I knew one thing: It felt good. In my daze I managed to look at Lovino again, who was watching me enviously. The captain laughed again. "Look at how jealous you're making Lovi~!" Lovino was about to hiss at the captain but suddenly he threw his head back again and moaned softly.

As I looked over to see why he was moaning I saw the captain was stroking him. I could still feel the tickle of his lips on my skin and his warm breath in my ear. I bit my lip and understood why Lovino had been jealous, for I was feeling the exact same way now. I closed my eyes only a split second but it had been enough to get an idea. Lovino had begged for attention, now it was my turn as my eyes got fixated on a bare spot on the captain's neck. I licked my lips briefly and held my breath so he wouldn't notice me as I let my teeth graze his skin rather than biting him. I felt him jolt in surprise and I pulled back instantly, a blush on my face in fear that I had gone too far. Yet all he did was grin before he pulled me into a sudden and teeth-crushing kiss.

I allowed myself to wrap my arms around him, but I felt Lovino do the same, trying to claim him as well. I glanced at Lovino just in time to see him stick out his tongue to me behind the captain's back and I had to struggle to keep myself from laughing. When Lovino noticed I was laughing at him he just seemed to get angrier and actually tried to claw at me, I hadn't expected it and he drew three thin lines on my cheek with his nails. I was slightly offended but managed to grin at him as I felt the sweet tingling on my cheek, Lovi seemed to have forgotten we both liked pain. He growled at me instantly but we were disturbed in our little wordless quarrel by the captain's chuckling. "What's this, hmm~? Don't you like Alfred~?"

Lovino was slightly taken aback by the question as we had become friends, he was just jealous but I understood he didn't dare tell the captain out of embarrassment. Indeed his face grew red as he spoke while looking down… "N-no, that's not it… I…" The captain took his chin and lifted it, reading Lovino's eyes. It wasn't such a hard thing to do since Lovino's feelings were always all over his face. It was quite amusing to see Lovino's eyes widen as he stared into the captain's and his face grew redder. The captain also enjoyed the sight but then let go with a grin. "My, my~ You're jealous mi Lovinito~" Lovino bit his lip slightly before trying to fight back. "A-Am not!" He looked at the captain angrily but somehow his anger faded quickly. He obviously cursed himself for his weakness and tried to turn away to sulk but as he and I were sitting on the captain's lap that wasn't quite going to work…

I giggled at the cuteness of it all when the captain looked at me, freezing me instantly. I gazed into his beautiful green eyes and felt myself melt underneath his gaze. I understood more and more why Lovino was so attached to this man, he was very tempting and also completely irresistible in all meanings of the word. "Were you jealous as well~? Its unusual for someone to try something like that on me." His tone was dry, almost harsh, as he spoke of my 'bite'. I blushed instantly. "I-I'm sorry sir…" He didn't seem completely satisfied with my answer but it would do. "So, were you jealous or not?" If I answered with the truth he would be satisfied, that much was obvious and we both knew the answer to his question. I bit my lip so hard I almost caused it to bleed before I sighed and mumbled. "Yes sir…"

Of course he wasn't going to let me off the hook with just that. "What was that?" His grin grew wide as he lifted my chin. "Be specific~" My lower lip trembled, I had never been treated that way and admitting such a thing in a situation like this was quite hard to do. "Y-Yes sir, I was… Jealous…" I had held my breath before saying 'jealous'. I didn't quite dare say it out of embarassement but what choice did I have? The captain laughed. "Now there's an honest chico! You should take him as an example, Lovi!" I held a blush on my face as he commended me. I felt sorry for Lovino though, I could see that despite his attitude, he cared for this man and was desperate for his attention now that it was being taken away.

I shot an apologetic look at Lovino and he barely nodded in response. He knew I didn't mean any harm. I smiled at him and that was my mistake. The captain saw it. "What are you smiling at?" He yanked my head back by my hair, making me wince. "N-Nothing, sir!" I tried to sound convincing but I couldn't just explain my little understandings with Lovino. I felt that if I told the captain I would betray our bond. I didn't know why but it just felt that way. And I was right. I tried to look at Lovino and his emotions seemed to mirror my gut feeling. The captain pushed me off of his lap, making me land hard on the floor. "You're excused." I felt thrown away but I stayed strong, I knew it was the best thing to do. I got up and answered him before leaving, forbidding myself to look back as I walked out the door. "Yes sir."

An hour later Lovino came back but the state he was in shocked me. Even in the dim candle light I could see he was battered and bruised as he stumbled down the stairs. I had laid in my bunk restlessly as I had waited for him to return. I gasped as he stepped further into the light. I quickly tried to help him but he slapped away my hand. "Lovino?" I tried to ask him why he didn't allow me to help, I cared about him after all. He shook his head. "D-Don't touch… Hurts… Too much…" He managed to say before nearly collapsing. I caught him and tried to be careful not to hurt him but the air was knocked out of his lungs regardless, making him pass out. I carried him to his bunk and laid him down on his back before removing his shirt.

I gasped instantly. His skin was full of cuts and bruises. I knew where those cuts came from, they were just the right depth. They came from a whip. I could see it was a different one than the one that captain had used on me though. I shook my head in astonishment while my eyes widened. It couldn't have been… The cat 'o nine tails! I was surprised he was even able to walk all the way to the bunks. I slowly shoved up his shorts to find the same kind of cuts when I noticed something on his wrists… The marks of ropes. I cursed, which was not something I did often. I knew that someone in the bunks had a first-aid kit somewhere…

Of course! Who else than the dreaded Bosun would have it? I managed to cross the usually creaky floor of the bunks without making a sound and took the kit, which was hidden under the bosun's bunk. I dragged it back to Lovino and started tending to his wounds. I placed the kit back where I had found it before going back to bed. I kept an eye on Lovino as I fell asleep.

The next day, before the morning bell, I heard a groan next to me. When I opened my eyes I saw that Lovino had managed to move himself into my bunk and had used me as a pillow all night. I smiled at the silliness of the situation and woke him up. He groaned in pain. "Are you okay? What the hell did he do to you?" He shook his head. "Not here, too dangerous…" I wondered what would be dangerous on the ship but then I realised that if anyone heard, we'd both probably be in big trouble… I nodded at him and pushed him back down when he tried to sit up. "You need to rest…"

He laid back down and calmed down as he let his hand trail over his stomach. He pulled his shirt up to see his wounds taken care of. "Eh?" He looked up at me. "D-Did you…?" I nodded. "You came downstairs yesterday and you were hurt, you passed out so I tried to help…" "But, with what did you do it? We don't have access to-" He cut himself off as he realised what I had done. "You stole from the Bosun?!" His eyes stood wide in fear and admiration. "He was vast asleep and I managed not to let the floor creak…" I grinned proudly and scratched the back of my head. "We'd better make sure no one sees them though…" Even I was not stupid enough not to realise that if anyone saw the bandages they would want to know where they came from.

"You should go back to your own bunk before they start waking up…" I wasn't quite sure if I should tell him and I was right because he was about to scowl at me for sprouting nonsense when he noticed he was indeed lying in my bunk. His face turned bright pink, which caused me to giggle slightly. "Don't blame me, you did that on your own~" I said, still grinning. He grunted and tried to get back to his own bunk when I stopped him. "You need to stay warm." He groaned again but then realised the consequences. "No! They'll take you instead! If he sees you instead of me he'll hurt you too!" I saw the fear in his eyes. "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. I want you to do one thing, and that's to rest until your wounds are fully healed. Trust me."

He sighed, knowing he couldn't talk me out of it even though I knew the danger. I put the blankets over him and laid myself on Lovino's bed. I shivered at the cold but got used to it soon as my warmth heated up the bed. Soon the morning bell rang and I stayed glued to my bed. I knew Lovino was a vast sleeper and that's what the captain was counting on. They ignored Lovino, who of course was thought to be me as they dragged me to the captain while I was still supposed to be asleep. They were some lower henchmen who I hadn't met yet. Perfect, they didn't know they had the wrong kid.

They threw me in the cabin and I cried out in the best copy of the little Italian's voice that I could. The door locked quickly and the captain turned around. The second he saw me he scowled. "What are you doing here?!" I sat up, rubbing my shoulder that had just hit the floor. "How should I know, sir? I was just dragged here for no apparent reason…" I tried to feign innocence but I knew by the look in the captain's eyes that he couldn't be fooled so easily. "You switched bunks didn't you?" I bit my lip, ready to counter. "He needed a warm bed." He glared at me, the sheer power in his eyes made me crawl back at least a meter. He unlocked the door and yelled to the Bosun. "Get Lovino!" I bit my lip even harder, he almost never called Lovino by his full name. What had happened last night?!

Not a minute later I could hear the whimpering from Lovino as the Bosun had roughly grabbed him where he was wounded and was dragging him along into the captain's cabin. "Here you go, capt'n." He grinned and left. I got up and caught Lovino as he was pushed in and didn't have the balance to stand. I held him close, trying not to touch his wounds. "Are you okay?" It was a stupid question but it was the best I could come up with. He bit on his lip an instant, he knew the captain wanted to hear his answer. "No, of course not you idiota!" I was surprised by his outburst but I knew why. All it took me to know was a glance at the captain who was smirking. I wanted to glare at the captain, to demand what he had done to Lovino and what he was going to do to the both of us now. Naturally I couldn't muster the force to do it.

The captain spoke before either of us could. "Show me." Lovino bit his lip and lifted his shirt slowly. To my surprise the bandages were gone, he had me fooled. I held back my questioning gaze and kept my eyes focussed on the captain instead, who slowly turned around him to inspect his handiwork. He grinned. The cuts had stopped bleeding but they were far from healed. He stepped closer and crouched in front of Lovino. He winced as the captain stretched out his fingers and let them trail over the sensitive skin. Lovino gasped as he continued stroking the skin, making it a darker shade of red, making the wounds open up again slowly. He was shaking in pain and his hands were barely able to hold up his shirt. I couldn't bear watching… "Stop it! You're hurting him!"

I burst out before I even realised what was going through my head. I instantly regretted opening my mouth. I didn't even get the time to blink when the captain knocked me down and was hovering over me. My eyes showed the terror I was experiencing but no longer regretted speaking up as I heard Lovino sigh, no longer in pain. "You've got guts standing up to me, chico." He glared at me again and I was quite tempted to scream in fear but my voice was stuck in my throat. His face came closer to mine and dug itself in my neck as he chuckled and bit me. I was about to scream when I noticed the bite was strong enough to make me bleed but wasn't meant to truly hurt me. My moan came out in a raspy breath, I didn't know what was happening to me but I could feel everything: the captain's breath, his touch, his lips, his warmth…

Lovino had gasped when he saw what the captain was doing but he relaxed his shoulders when he saw I was enjoying it. The captain sighed. "What was the laughing from yesterday about Alfred?" I glanced at Lovino and he nodded. It was my turn to sigh. "Lovino and I… I guess it's just that we understand each other pretty well…" He sighed again and sat up. "Very well…" He scratched the back of his head and looked at Lovino with apologetic eyes. Lovino nodded in response and sat next to us. Suddenly he burst out laughing. The captain and I looked at him in surprise and wonder. "This is just so fucking ridiculous! All of this for nothing!" He calmed down a bit until he was only grinning. I had never seen Lovino laugh like that and to be honest I quite liked it.

Out of nowhere the captain started chuckling as well. "What have we here, Alfred~?" My face was a question mark as he spoke. "Your face is red~ You wouldn't happen to be developing a crush for our little Lovi here, would you~?" My eyes widened and I felt my face heat up. "N-No way!" I hadn't expected something like that but my denial only made the captain laugh harder. I thought I heard him mumble through his laughter "How cute~!" The captain's laughter died as a wide grin spread across his face. "How about you two stay the day in my cabin?" His look and tone told us we had to accept. We glanced at each other and I shrugged. "Yes sir." We both said, he smiled. "Good~" He got up and went to the door, getting the key out of his pocket. "I'll make sure you're fed." He seemed quite energetic as he opened the door. "Have fun~" Were the last words we would hear from him for the next 24 hours.

I shifted uncomfortably, unsure of what to say or do. Lovino spoke before I had a chance to. "Is it true…?" I lifted my head to meet his gaze as I wondered what he meant but the eye contact reminded me of what the captain had said. I gulped. If there was one thing I couldn't do then it was lying to Lovino. "I… I don't know…" It was the most honest answer I could give him. I saw an odd twinkle in his eyes as I finished speaking. It was something I had never noticed with him before but somehow it reminded me of the captain… Slowly he crawled towards me with a simple yet truthful excuse. "It's cold in here, we should stay together for warmth." My body reacted to his without my consent as I nodded and leaned on him, trying my best not to cuddle him. Somehow I was afraid the captain was right… And if he was, then that would give him more power over the both of us, assuming Lovino liked me back of course.

I felt the cold, salty wind blow in through an open window… I blew some warm air in my hands before hesitantly getting up and closing the window. I couldn't see it but I was sure Lovino was smirking at me. "Close the curtains too?" It seemed a simple request but there was much meaning behind his words and I could almost see the honey dripping off his words. I could feel the sting of a needle under the honey cover of his voice, it wasn't just a request… It was an order. Hesitantly I obeyed and shut all of the curtains and found my way back to him in the dark. He was looking for some matches in a drawer and lit a single candle. "There~" He said as he moved back to the middle of the floor… I followed him and sat beside him again. I expected he would let me lean on him again but as I tried, he moved aside and made me fall on the floor with my back down and within a matter of seconds he was hovering above me like the captain had done… "L-Lovino… What are you do-?"

I hadn't expected it but I should have as I was cut off by his sudden kiss. I could feel his warmth, his lips on mine and also his tongue trying to poke through my lips. I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him closer as I kissed back, opening my mouth to allow access to his tongue. I didn't even have the chance to fight over dominance as he completely overwhelmed me and swept me away. Once we broke the kiss I was panting heavily and I could see his breath had gotten slightly irregular as well… His grin never left his face as he told me something that sent a cold shiver up my spine.

"He's watching us~" My eyes widened. "What?! But the curtains-!" Lovino chuckled. "Are you really that oblivious? This is his cabin after all. There is more than once entrance." I knew he was right but I didn't want to accept it… Wouldn't we be able to be together as long as we were on board? He shook his head as if he had read my mind. "He'll always toy with us. But it's sort of a comforting thought, isn't it? To always be watched over and protected…?" He smiled sadly. I felt he wanted us to be together just as much as I did, yet we had to stay with Antonio. And I knew, even though Lovino was trying to keep it from me, that he liked the captain a bit more than 'just friends'. The entire crew knew about it… I sighed. "Fine… I guess it's better this way, huh?" He nodded. I pulled him down in a hug and yawned, we had been with the captain for about an hour maybe but it had exhausted me and Lovino probably felt the same… I cuddled him and fell asleep soon.

- 3 months later -

"Ship in sight!" Yelled one of the crew who was in the mast. The captain immediately joined the main deck and grabbed his spyglass. He saw the flags of the English main and cursed. "Prepare our defences and lower the flag! With some luck they haven't seen us yet! Do we still have a Spanish flag left?! They'll think we're from the main! All hands on deck and hurry up!" I had never seen him so agitated… "Captain! I'll go look for a flag!" I yelled at him and ran off with Lovino by my side.

We found an old and dusty spanish flag on the lower deck and we quickly took it to the flag mast. Lovino ran off to tell the captain while I took down the pirate flag and replaced it with the spanish one. I heard Lovino yelling me the go ahead as I saw him running towards me. I hoisted the flag up as quickly as I could. "Anyone with some decent clothes on can stay on deck, the rest into the bunks! NOW!" We checked each other's clothes and only a handful of men had stolen decent clothes from the last town we'd plundered… They remained on deck while the rest of us hit the bunks as fast as we could.

Luckily the manoeuvre worked and we were able to pass quietly. The English main tried to avoid a fight with Spanish ships at all times after all, they fought no unnecessary battles. We switched the flags again as soon as we were no longer visible for the English and we set course for the Caribbean. Naturally with our fair share of storms trowing us off of our heading it took us several months to get there. When we finally saw the port of Tortugua the men cheered and emptied our rations of rum. Yet the captain seemed preoccupied with something… Both Lovino and I had noticed it but we didn't dare ask him what it was… Now I know we should have.

That morning we woke up early and with unease. The captain had been restless for a few days now and he hadn't called either of us for comfort, we knew something had to be wrong. When the sun rose to it's highest peak, the captain finally called us. What happened next, neither of us liked. He ordered us off ship. "What?! You can't be serious! Antonio please!" My entire body was shaking and I felt as if I was about to collapse on the spot. His eyes told me he was dreadfully serious. Lovi staggered back shaking his head weakly… "Y-You can't do this to us…!" Even though I barely had the strength to stand, I caught Lovino as he sank through his knees. I understood how he felt: destroyed and betrayed… This just couldn't be happening.

"It's too dangerous! I don't want either of you to be captured." I looked up at the captain with pleading eyes. I didn't know what I could possibly say to change his mind but I was set on trying. He sighed and scratched the back of his head when I saw a faint flicker of hope flash through his eyes. "Very well… But I want you to go to the town and collect any weapons you can get your hands on, we'll need them." His voice was firm and for the first time in quite a while I was unable to read him.

I lifted Lovi back to his feet and I sighed. "Yes sir…" Lovi looked at me as if I had gone mad. I shared that thought as I nodded to the captain and dragged Lovi off board. "Let me go! We have to stay! We can't leave him like this!" He struggled with all his strength but I pulled him into a strong hug. "Sorry Lovi… Captain's orders. He's done so much for us… He took us in and fed us, he took care of us. This is the least we can do to repay him. We have to stay safe and have faith that we will as well." Lovi looked into my eyes. When I met them, I saw and ocean of tears and sorrow. I fought back my own and took him to the nearest inn we could find. I was exhausted. The day had been hard on us and we needed our rest.

When I woke up the next morning, he was no longer beside me. I jumped up and searched for him as quickly as my legs would carry me. The more I searched, the more I became desperate. I refused to believe it… He'd tried to sneak back on board. I felt and excruciating pain in my chest as I ran to the harbour. Empty. They must have left in the middle of the night. All I could do was watch the horizon, futilely searching for Los Tres Amigos, Antonio's great pride. Tears started to stream over my cheeks without my permission as I broke in a bundle of sobs. My legs crumbled, making me land hard on the wooden floor of the docks.

- 5 years later -

I ran over the busy streets of Tortugua, a mango in my hands and a few angry merchants behind me. It was the oldest story in the book, really: A young boy stealing fruit to survive. It was a simple truth. I ran as fast as my legs could carry me. I knew these streets well. I had lived on them almost my entire life now, the only exception being the three to four months I had spent aboard Antonio's ship, five years ago. Had it really been that long? My thoughts drifted away as I let my legs carry me where they pleased. I hadn't seen the English pirate flag, nor the men who were gathering near the border of the town. Ever since that day I had stayed away from other pirates. So why my legs carried me there was a mystery to me. It still is.

Same as last time, I bumped into a large figure. I staggered back and was about to apologise when I saw the man was a pirate. I was instantly glued to the spot and I gave an involuntary gasp when I recognised their flag. "Hein? What's this?" The man roughly grabbed my wrist and yanked me a few inches above the floor. I gritted my teeth as he chuckled. "This one would be a good slave."

"Stop." A familiar voice broke through the crowds. The man seemed to be their captain and he seemed oddly familiar… But who was he? "This one's mine." He spoke coolly. "Take him to my cabin." His words were final as they dragged me on board. I instantly found my footing, the ship's floor brought back old memories… A bitter taste formed in my mouth as I remembered those days.

I was thrown in the cabin roughly and a few minutes later the captain entered and locked the door. My nerves were tense as I heard the lock click into place. "Well, well, well. Alfred F. Jones." I looked up in surprise, how did he know my name? "You've forgotten about me, how disappointing." I don't know what it was that caused me to remember him but I gasped. "No way… Arthur?" The more I looked at him, the more the resemblance was striking. "Ah, so you do remember. Fantastic!" He grinned and offered me a seat. "It's been a long time… What have you been up to?" His smile was semi-kind and I noticed his eyes were bitter. He must have gone through quite a lot to look like that…

"Nothing much… Mostly starving to death, how 'bout you?" My tone was casual, or sarcastic perhaps. I didn't quite enjoy his presence as much as I would have thought. The sheer smell of the wood mixed with the ocean's salt caused my memories to come back. I didn't want to remember those blissful days with Lovi. Oh Lovi… I was awoken from my trance by a harsh slap in my face. It did me good to be brought back to reality… "You would do best to show me some more respect as your captain, lad." His tone was harsh but I found a certain comfort in it. I answered him like it was second nature to me. "Yes sir." He seemed pleased with my answer.

Then his expression changed. "I'm surprised. You know how to answer to your captain properly." I gulped. I didn't want to tell him about my service to captain Antonio… "Yes sir…" He noticed my uncertainty and smirked. "You've spent time with pirates before, haven't you?" I sighed. There was no escaping it now, and lying to him wouldn't solve anything either. "Yes sir." He seemed pleased. But the inescapable question came nonetheless. "Who was your former captain?" I figured it would be best to keep him pleased for now, I didn't feel like getting a whipping.

"Captain Antonio Fernandez Carriedo…" He growled lowly and paced around. "What did he do to you? WHAT DID HE DO?!" He threw a chair on the floor with such force that it broke into a million splinters. I held my breath as he calmed down again. I had never seen him like that before. He was worried about me… Did he really still care about me as much as he did back then? "He didn't hurt me if that's what you're saying." My voice sounded strong and I felt a renewed wave of strength flowing though me, I defend my captain. He sighed. "Thats good to hear at least… But how in the bloody world did you escape?" I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. "He… Told us that a fight was coming… With another ship… That it was too dangerous for us… He wanted us to stay ashore… He forced us to go but Lo- Ahem, my friend managed to get back on the ship just before they left… I haven't heard from either of them since…" I bit on my lip as I tried to hold back the flood of emotions that was taking control of me at the mere mention of Lovino.

"I see…" He muttered, staring at nothing in particular. He turned his gaze to me again. "Who was that 'friend' of yours?" I gulped. I didn't want to tell him, I didn't want to say his name, I didn't want to remember. "L-Lovino…" I bit my lip as hard as I could just to keep myself from crying, I had to stay strong. "I thought so." He frowned and looked me straight in the eyes as he spoke the most dreadful words I had ever heard in my life…

"I forbid you to have contact with him anymore." I knew his words could not be discussed or altered but I had to try! I was shocked nonetheless and my expression reflected that clearly as tears started to form in my eyes. "What?! No! Please, you cant do this to me! Why?!" The tears were blurring my vision as my hope of seeing my dear Lovi again was being crushed to dust. "Because he works for the enemy. And they're obviously fucking each other." He huffed. "Its not the end of the world, man up already." I gulped. It felt like he had slapped me in the face but I knew the truth in his words. After all, I knew all too well how we were both treated by Antonio…

"How did you-" I cut myself off. Of course… He must have been spying on us as he sailed nearby. One must know his enemies if he wants to defeat them. Lovi was obviously Antonio's biggest weakness. Damn it! All I wanted was to return to their side. To go home. "Listen here Alfred. I've raised you to become a strong man, but I see you're simply falling before the enemies' feet." He spat at me, obviously furious.

"Let me make one thing clear. If I ever notice you trying to escape, or even thinking about those bloody fuckers, I'll punish you severely!" My fists clenched tightly, the fear I felt before was being taken over by rage and anger as my body trembled, trying not to assault my 'new captain'. I didn't like the way I was being treated here one little bit. "Yes sir…" I formed the words through my also clenched teeth. I tried not to barge out of the room in any way possible and get my ass the hell off the ship. "Glad you understand." He smirked at me and grabbed me by my hair, making me groan. "Now, let's see. Would you rather be sleeping in the cell or in the torture chamber? The ship is already chock-full of other slaves, I don't have a lot of space left for such a feminine boy like you."

I tried to sound grateful as I answered him but my voice was layered with hatred. "The cell would be fine, thank you c-captain." If I was ever to escape the clutches of my former guardian I'd have to plan it out… If by any chance I would get caught, I'd end up regretting the day I was born. He responded with a nod, dragging me downstairs and letting the crew make fun of me as he dragged me over the deck in that same manner, that smirk still on his face. When we reached the cell he threw me in and closed the barred door behind me, locking me up. "Just for safekeeping~" I glared at him but waited for him to leave before cursing and kicking the metal bars. "Fuck him, dammit!" I paced around in my cell anxiously and angrily. I'd have to figure a way to get out of this cell soon…

- Antonio's POV -

"Lovi, come with me for a moment…" I said as I tucked my spyglass in my belt. "There's something we need to talk about." Lovino looked up from the sea he'd been staring at and gave a small nod, following me to my cabin. "What is it you bastard?" He muttered as he flopped down on a chair. "Come on, no cursing, I already told you that…" He sighed deeply. "I know you did." I smiled softly before getting back to what I wanted to tell him. "We have more important matters at hand. That damned Brit is close but he hasn't seen us yet. He's busy with a new passenger and we both know him quite well…"

I didn't have to wait long for Lovi to understand who I meant as he jumped up. "Y-You mean Alfred's caretaker?! Who are you talking about? Is it-" Immediately he realised. "Alfred! Come on, you idiot! We've got to go and save him now!" I placed my hands on Lovi's shoulders. "Calm down mi amor, we mustn't be hasty. He's probably not been on there for long judging by the way he was being treated. He must be trying to figure a way out of there, he's that kind of kid." I pulled Lovi a bit closer an looked into his eyes. "We must be patient, he'll make his move when he knows we're near. We should wait another day or two… I'm sure he can handle himself until then."

He growled and shook my hands off. "Don't call me that! He might be that kind of kid, but that doesn't mean that fucking Brit won't hurt him in those 'day or two'!" He grabbed his sword. "I'll save him myself!" He huffed. I quickly grabbed his wrist. "No Lovi. You must give him the time he needs to get ready. We'll get out of the fog by tomorrow but it'll be the only chance he'll have. He knows how to avoid a beating but if they catch him trying to escape he'll be in for it. I know you don't want that for him." I spoke calmly, trying to get the truth of my words to sink in but Lovi was as stubborn as always… "Let go of me, you're talking bullshit!" He yelled angrily as he pulled himself out of my grip. "I don't care about that, I just-" He didn't finish his sentence and sat down on the floor. "I just miss him." He spoke softly. "I know. You're not the only one Lovi…" I sat down next to my little Italian and hugged him tightly. "But its gonna be okay, we'll all be together again soon, I promise." I truly meant what I said as I looked at him. He made a muffled noise and hugged me back. "You'd better keep that promise capitano." He muttered as he buried his face in my chest and silently prayed Alfred was alright. "I will."

I kept hugging Lovi until a cry came from the deck. I let him go as I hurried to the crew. "What's going on?!" I demanded as I gazed upon the horizon and noticed the mist was gone already. "I think they spotted us capitán. But there seems to be a commotion on deck…" I grabbed my spyglass immediately and checked out the Emerald's deck. "Perfect!" I exclaimed with a grin "Prepare a longboat just in case and ready the guns! All hands on deck! We're heading over!" I looked at Lovi and patted his back roughly. "Looks like he got loose more quickly than I thought he would~" Lovi's eyes glistered with hope and joy. "Really?! Let's go and kick that fucking British bastardo's ass! For Alfred!" He almost cheered in happiness as he bounced up and down. "I'll cut that jerk's toes off, one by one!" I chuckled at his eagerness. "The winds are with us, it won't take long to reach and board them." I grinned widely as I shared Lovi's enthusiasm. "Let's get those damn fuckers!"

I drew my sword and lifted it high, encouraging cheers from the crew followed as they raised their weapons as well. "Go fetch my axe Lovi, I wouldn't want to vanquish Arturo with anything else~!" Lovi left to get it and come back quickly, dragging the heavy weapon with him. "Fuck you, I'm using this to chop off that scumbag's head!" He yelled as he tried to swing it around. "Let's go and kill that son of a motherfucker!" I laughed. "You're having trouble even lifting it, how are you going to do that?" I took my axe from Lovi and lifted it like it was no more than a feather's weight. "FIRE!"

The first bombs were shot and dropped heavily in the ocean around the Emerald until one hit the rump of the ship. "Let's get them!" The entire crew cheered while we got close enough to board the Emerald. "Let's go find him." I said to Lovi, softly enough so no one else would hear. Lovi nodded and jumped aboard the other ship as soon as the two were in alignment with each other. He immediately raced downstairs to search for his friend. "Hurry up capitano!" I was right behind him as we could hear Alfred struggling to be released. "Let go of me, you jerk!" He screamed as he was being yanked upwards by a blonde and tall pirate. "Let him go Arturo." I said calmly as we neared them.

Arthur smirked and lifted his sword up to Alfred's neck. "Not for you, ye bloody rat. I'd rather die than handing my boy over to you so you can slaughter him." A crazy look appeared in his eyes as he chuckled. I sighed, I had to be careful with this. One mistake could end in Alfred's death as I held Lovi back "Just let the boy go. Let him choose with who to stay. I wouldn't hurt him and he knows it." My voice was earnest as I hoped to get through to him. Naturally I excluded the punishment for disobedience if that ever happened… "I'd rather KILL him than letting him fall into your hands!" He spat, pulling Alfred closer. "You will never touch him again." He whispered, gently gliding the sword across Al's chest, creating a small cut. Alfred winced as the blade cut him, a small trail of blood seeping from the wound.

"STOP! Don't hurt him!" Came a sudden cry from Lovi as he tried to get around me. I kept holding him back, I didn't want him to get hurt either. Arthur stared at Lovino, distracted for a moment. Alfred stomped on his foot and pushed him away, making him fall. With a small gasp, Arthur hit the floor and growled in anger. "You do not oppose your captain!" He screeched. "You're not MY captain!" Alfred yelled back as he ran over to Antonio and Lovi, hugging Lovino tightly. "I've missed you so much!" Lovino felt himself tear up a bit. "I-I missed you too!" He grabbed Al's hand and pulled him further out of Arthur's reach as he yelled at me. "Let's get out of here, Toni!" I shook my head. "You kids go ahead, I've got an old score to settle." I had to finish this once and for all as I pointed my axe at Arthur. "You won't get away with just a few scars this time."

Arthur snarled as he got up, gripping his sword tightly. "Oh, shut it. Alfred is MINE. You've already got that Italian boy to fuck " My eyes darkened slightly as he spoke. "Mind your own business." I growled softly, still pointing my axe at his throat. "And what did you inted to do with him? By the looks of things he doesn't like you as much as he used to." Arthur growled at me. "You don't know anything about him. You're just going to rape him like that little Italian, aren't you? You sick pedophile!" He yelled as he lunged at me. I was slightly distracted by his last comment but I managed to dodge his attack just on time, only my clothes getting shredded. "Don't make the mistake of assuming things! I love Lovino." My voice softened again as I spoke… "Let the boy be, Arturo. He doesn't want any more to do with you." I said calmly as I slashed my axe downward to his shoulder. A pained gasp escaped his lips as he fell to the ground.

"Don't… Even talk to m-me." He snarled, his voice not as threatening and powerful as he would have wanted it to be. "If you call me that one more time, if you won't leave my ship right now… I'll make sure you will kill that Lovino of yours with your own hands. You will kill him slowly, painfully, split his skull apart with your own beloved weapon. And then I'll let you admire your own work long enough before I slit your throat and pull your tongue through the gap!" I was quite taken aback by his comment but didn't allow him the pleasure of seeing my emotions as I turned around and walked away. I knew the ship had made some distance already so I ran up to the rail of the Emerald and jumped.

As expected they had left a longboat waiting for me a mile or so further and with all the rubble caused by the gunshots it wasn't hard to get to the boat. Back on the ship, Lovino was catching up with Alfred. It had been quite long since they had last seen each other. He was preparing a meal for him. He still looked awfully thin. I climbed on deck and smiled as I saw the boys together again. Even though I wanted Lovi to be only mine, it warmed my heart to see him reunited with Alfred. He'd been so lonely all those years at sea… I could see Lovino felt a lot happier as well. It was strange to him, to be this… Bouncy; but it just felt great to have Alfred back. He spontaneously hugged both Alfred and myself, smiling brightly. "We're back together~!" Al smiled brightly as well. "Yeah." I hadn't noticed it until Lovi wiped the tears off his cheeks but Alfred had started crying, his smile still present on his face. "Are you okay…?" Lovi said, his voice laced with concern.

Alfred looked up slightly surprised, apparently he hadn't realised he was crying… He laughed. He was content with just being back. It looked like all his worries and hardships were flowing away with his tears of joy as he hugged us again. He then thanked me for saving him, which I just pushed off as a coincidence of coming across the Emerald and a slight desire to run it aground. I stood up and went to my quarters, providing the boys some time alone and a myself a chance to change into dry clothes.

- Alfred's POV -

Lovino smiled and grabbed my hand, tugging on it. "Come on, a lotta members of the crew are waiting to see you again." I smiled as he took me to see my old friends again. There were also some new faces but it was a lot of fun to catch up with the rest. We spent the entire day talking, joking and laughing. The sun was already setting when Lovi and I climbed the mast, enjoying the view. "You missed a lot, Alfred…" Lovi whispered, staring out at the sea. "I'm sure I did." I answered him as I gazed upon the horizon, taking in the smell of the ocean and the beautiful colours and motions of the water. I'd truly missed this.

I leaned against Lovi's shoulder, enjoying my moment alone with him more than anything. "Life has been so boring without the sea nor you in it…" I sighed, relieved that those times of loneliness were over now. This was where I belonged. Lovi ruffled my hair gently. "Did that bastrdo do anything to you…? Like, bad things?" He looked at me with worry in his eyes. I shook my head. "No, he just got pissed at the mention of Antonio… Seems they hate each other pretty bad… He asked me what Antonio did to me and such but I told him I was treated well. I didn't give him any valuable information either." I smiled gently at Lovi, reassuring him that Arthur had not laid a finger on me.

I saw a blush growing on his cheeks, it only made him cuter. I cupped his cheeks in my hands as I leaned in and kissed him. A million thought seemed to run through Lovi's head as he was hesitant to kiss me back. Perhaps many things had happened in the five years I'd been absent…? I smiled softly as Lovi carefully pulled me closer to deepen our kiss. I wrapped my arms around him and kept the kiss going for a few more moments before finally breaking it. I smiled warmly at Lovi before whispering words in his ear that I had repeated in my head many times before being able to say them…

"Be mine." I just loved him so much, our years apart had not changed that fact. The emotions that were running through me at accelerated speed were enough to make me burst into tears again. "I…" A flash of something I couldn't quite determine seemed to go through Lovi. He almost seemed at war with himself, struggling against his feelings. "I can't…" He mumbled eventually, looking away. A pang of pain seared through my chest. I saw tears rising in his eyes and mine weren't very far off either… "It's Antonio, he's… I-I can't choose…" He spoke softly but I heard him clearly, the rush of the ocean fading as I blocked out my surroundings. I could have known it would come to this… I knew very well how the captain felt about Lovi…

My thoughts were a mess and I didn't know how to act, the knot in my chest was just too tight. But… He did say he couldn't choose… So, did that mean he loved me? "S-so… You do l-love me…?" I finally said, my voice weak and shaky… Lovi bit his lip and turned to face me. His words made me overjoyed yet extremely sad at the same time… "Si, I do…" He took my hands and stared at them. "But you and Toni are both the most important people in my life… I love you both so much, but… Fuck." He muttered before hugging me tightly. I knew he had trouble expressing himself… I could feel drops fall on my shoulder and I felt I was about to cry as well. Why did it all have to be so complicated? I let go of him and looked in his eyes, wiping away some of his tears with my thumb. "I'm sure we'll manage to work this out somehow." I smiled faintly and pressed my lips upon his one last time before getting up. "We should go to bed, tomorrow's back to work I guess…" I spoke softly, trying to hide my confusion and sadness.

I started climbing down the mast without waiting for him. I didn't know how long I could keep myself together in front of him… Carefully Lovi slid down the sail, skilfully landing on his feet. "W-Well, about that… I kind of… Sleep in Antonio's bed now." Lovino shook his hair in front of his face to hide an embarrassed blush but I didn't pay it any mind as I stood with my back toward him, refusing to turn around. "I… See." I bit my lip hard enough to draw blood. "It's fine, really… I understand." I spoke quietly before running off to the barracks, the tears finally dripping down my face. "Alfred, wait-…" But I was already gone, not willing to listen to any more.

- Antonio's POV -

I could hear Lovino calling after Alfred. He sighed audibly before entering my cabin and completely ignoring me. He just flopped on the bed, sniffling and wiping away his tears with the sheets. "God dammit…" He said as he buried his head in the sheets. "What happened, Lovi?" I sat down on the side of the bed, stroking his chocolate-brown locks. "Are you alright?" I didn't quite know how to act since my little lovinito seemed so utterly distraught… "No, I'm not…" He whispered, letting me caress him. "It's all my fault… It must be. He hates me now." Lovi started crying heavily, clinging onto his cushion. My mind instantly filled with worry. I lifted Lovi onto my lap, letting him cling to me instead. "Hush, it'll be okay, I'm sure he doesn't hate you." I tried to console him but I knew that I couldn't be of much support to him if I didn't know what the problem was…

Lovino sobbed heavily, burying his face in my chest. The familiarity seemed to calm him down a bit. "Alfred, he… We… He kissed me." I could see he was afraid of what I would say, but how could I possibly get mad at Lovi? I knew he had feelings for Alfred, I knew that even before I tried to leave the boys in Tortugua. I sighed. "I know you're in love with him…" I said carefully, not wanting to hurt my little Lovi even further. "What? Really?!" Immediately he sat up straight. "I thought you'd kill me! You're always so possessive over me." He bit his lip, struggling from my embrace and sitting down on the floor. He huffed. "What am I supposed to do…?" I could see him slowly getting desperate. "I can't choose between the both of you…" I sighed calmly. "Of course I'm possessive over you. Te amo, but I don't want you to be unhappy."

I really didn't know how to solve this either. I knew Lovi could be happy with Al, but I couldn't bear letting him go again. I had already given them their chance when I left them in Tortugua. It had been their chance to live together happily, and most of all, safely. I was torn up between my possessiveness and my wish for Lovi's happiness, because that was all I wanted for him, happiness. Lovino sunk in thought for a while before sighing deeply and looking up at me. "This is going to sound so stupid… Isn't there a way to, you know… Love each other? Like the three of us- Ugh, never mind." He muttered, getting up. I looked at him with confusion in my eyes. "What are you saying Lovi…?"

I had a feeling I knew what he meant but… Was he serious? It was the only way not to hurt any of us, but was this really the right thing to do…? A threesome? "You know what I'm saying, fucking idiot." He huffed and crossed his arms. "It's just that… I wouldn't want to hurt any one of you… You both kind of… Mean the world to me." Muttering those words he sat down next to me, awkwardly playing with his fingers. I smiled gently at him. "Oh Lovi… I want nothing more than for you to be happy. I… Guess we can give it a try if Alfred agrees with you?" I said gently as I pushed him a bit, trying to get him up. "Seriously?" A smile graced his lips as he gave me a chaste kiss, he seemed relieved. He quickly ran down to where the crew slept, careful not to wake anyone but Alfred.

- Alfred's POV -

"Psst." He poked my nose and tugged the weird cowlick on my head. "What…?" I turned away, not wishing to be woken up by whoever it was that was trying to do so. I didn't want to wake up in the first place… I'd just cried myself to sleep and my eyes were still a bit red as I mumbled. "Go away…" I slowly drifted back to sleep. Lovi growled and slapped me gently. "Wake up, Al. Antonio and I need to discuss something with you." He whispered, trying to drag me out of my bunk. "It's urgent." I groaned slightly as I landed of the floor with a thump. "Okay, okay, whatta ya want?" I mumbled as I got up, my eyes adapting to the darkness and recognising Lovi. "Oh, it's you…"

"Si. Well, I… No, Antonio and I need to… Discuss something with you." He muttered as he tugged on my hand, dragging me back to the captain's cabin. "Ugh, fine…" I mumbled as I let Lovi take me back to the captain even though I didn't really want to… I wondered what they had to say, which was the only thing that drove me to follow him. When we were in the cabin he leaned against a wall while I didn't go much further than the door.

"You see, I… I love you, Al. But I love Antonio! But you, and just…" He seemed at loss of words. "Never mind!" He yelled, huffing and crossing his arms in embarrassment. I giggled softly as he huffed, it was so typical of him. Instead I turned to Antonio. "You mind explaining…?" Antonio faced me. he was more straightforward than I had expected but it was fine this way, at least things were clear… "Lovi told me he can't choose between the two of us. he loves us equally as much. I believe he just wants the three of us to love each other instead of having to choose one and hurt one of us." I blinked in surprise, letting his words get through to me. It was something I really hadn't expected, especially coming from Lovi…

I bit my lip softly, not knowing what to do. "I… I don't know… I…" I was at a complete loss of words, staring at Lovi and Antonio… Lovi sighed. "I-I know it sounds weird, but… I thought it was a good option?" His voice became smaller as he spoke. I shook my head. "I understand why you thought that…" I took a deep breath and sighed. Even though I didn't feel like sharing him with Toni, I didn't want to put him through such a hard choice… "W-We can try…. I guess…" I mumbled softly, focussing my gaze on my shoes. ''I know it's a stupid idea- Wait, what?'' Lovino turned around, surprised at my words. ''Are you saying... You agree with this?'' A feeling of relief seemed to wash over him.

He suddenly pulled us close and hugged the both of us, glowing with happiness. I smiled and hugged him back, suddenly awfully conscious of Antonio's presence... Sure, I had agreed to his silly plan to save him the grief but I still was quite unsure of what was to follow… For what could ahppen in a pirate's love triangle?

* * *

**dannazione* = goddamit.**

**A/N: Emiherd, finally done correcting, I swear, this goes on for ever XD Even though I would have liked continuing this, I guess it was the right place to stop. We both had a LOT of fun writing this and fangirling over cracks~ (I mean, AmeriMano is crack, adorable, but crack nonetheless). The pairing has grown in both our hearts now ^^ Anywho, I'm starting to ramble XD I hoped you all enjoyed it as much as we did and I really, really, really hope you'll all be darlings and review, we'd both really appreciate it 3 Night to y'all (it's already 10PM *yawn*) and have fun imagining the rest of this~ ;)**

**-Kitty**


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